$1M bail set for mom accused of child endangerment after infant dies

A woman was ordered held on $1 million bail Saturday, accused of child endangerment after her 6-month-old daughter died suffering from extreme malnutrition, authorities said.

Two female relatives of Chequita D. Bell, 23, of the 800 block of East Hoffer Street in Kokomo, Ind., wept in court after Judge Donald Panarese Jr. set the bail at the Leighton Criminal Court Building during a Saturday afternoon bond hearing.

Bell was charged with felony child endangerment.

The baby, Jazmine Walker, was 6 months old when she died Wednesday and weighed “barely 4 pounds,’’ Harvey police said. Bell is responsible for her death, police said.

At her premature birth Nov. 29, Jazmine weighed 3 pounds and was diagnosed with spina bifida. She remained in the hospital for one month and weighed 7 pounds when she was released to her mother, who failed to take Jazmine to multiple doctor appointments, police said.

Wednesday morning, Bell called paramedics to her sister's home in Harvey because she said Jazmine appeared to be unresponsive. The baby was taken to Ingalls Hospital in Harvey, where she was pronounced dead at 7:17 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Jazmine was dehydrated, malnourished and extremely emaciated, prosecutors said, adding that the medical examiner noted that while the cause of death was pending for microbiology and drug testing, they indicated it was a neglect case.